Charles a



C. A. TRIPP.

COIN CONTROLLED SWITCH.

APPLICATION mm NOV. 15, 1911.

l,3@3,%19m Patented May 13', 1919 22 FIG 7 H I H m wvayroe 0142455 ,4 Temp.

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT orricn. v

one a warm, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, AssIeNon. 'ro HOLCOMLB & HOKE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A oonroaarron.

COIN-CONTROLLED SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 13, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. TRIPP, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Coin-Controlled Switch; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like figures refer to like parts.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in coin controlled switches. One of the features of the invention is to provide a coin receivingbody of insulated material through which is formed a slot for the passage of the coin, the contact plates being positioned adjacent the edges of said slot with which the coin engages to form a circuit.

Another feature of the invention is the formation of one of the contact points in such a manner that the coin will be caused to positively engage both of the contact points by frictional engagement therewith.

Another feature of the invention is the pivoting of one of the contact points so that it may be swung out of the path of the coin to permit the coin to pass beyond the contact points.

Another feature of the invention is-the provision of means to normally hold the pivoted contact point in position to engage with the coin and an addltional feature is "the provision of automatically operated means for operating the pivoted contact point to move the same out of the path of the coin.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter more fully set forth and pointed out in the accompanying specification.

In the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this application Figure 1 is a top plan View of the coin receiving switch mechanism showing the same in operative position.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof as seen on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the parts operated to release the coin.

Fig. at is a sectional view as seen on line 4c4 of Fig. 3, showing the coin after being released from engagement with the contact points and descending through the switch mechanism.

Referring to the drawings in which simigroove l-ar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates the wall of a receptacle which may be of any preferred structure to which is attached a switch casing 2, said casing com prising a body portion 3 and a face plate 4', preferably constructed of insulating material. One face of the body portion 3 is provided with a groove-5 which extends the full length of the body portion, said groove being designed for the passage of a coin 6. In order to form an electrical contact or circuit, a fixed contact point 7 is embedded in the body portion 3 so that one edge thereof will be flush with the wall of the groove 5, while a movable contact point 8 is provided at the opposite edge of the groove 5.

The movable contact point 8 is pivotally mounted in a slot 9 formed in the face of the body portion 3, by meansof a bolt 10, said contact point 8 having a bowed end 11 and a straight end 12, said ends bein on opposite sides of the pivot point. he bowed end 11 of the contact point 8 is so bent that the convexed face thereof will protrude a distance in the groove 5 and lie 1n the path of the coin 6 so that as said 'coin descends it will first engage the bowed end and thus be positively engaged with the fixed contact 7-, in view of the wedging action caused by the curved face of the end 11. The bowed end 11 is yieldingly held in the path of the coin 6 by placing a spring 13 in the recess 14 in the body portion 3, one end of the spring abutting against the wall of the recess an the opposite end against the straight end 12 ing outward pressure against the straight end 12. The face plate 4: is held in engagement with the body portion 3 by the bolt 10 which forms the pivot for the contact point 8 and a bolt 15 at the opposite side of the 5, said bolts 10 and 15 serving as binding posts for wires 16 and 17 respectively.

Any preferred means may be employed for swinging the bowed end of the contact 8 out of the path of the coin so as to permit the coin to descend through the casing 2, but as a matter of illustration, an operating rod 18 is shown which is supported in brackets 19 attached to the wall 1. The end of the rod 18 farthest from the switch mechanism has a right angular extension 20 for cooperation with the operating cam 21, said cam being carried by a shaft 22. The operating cam 21 is provided with a fiat face 23, which registers with the lateral extension 20, when the movable contact point 8 is positioned to encounter the coin 6 when it passes through the groove 5, but when the shaft 22 and operating cam carried thereby is rotated, the

circular portion of the cam 21 will be brought into engagement with the extension 20, thereby moving the operating rod 18 lengthwise and against the outer face of the straight end 12, thus swinging the movable contact point 8 on its pivot and moving the bowed end 11 out of the path of the coin, the bowed end 11 being held out of the path of the groove 5 until such time as the cam 21 is rotated and the fiat face 23 again brought into registration with the extension 20.

This switch is designed for use in connection with any electrically operative machinery or other device Where a, coin is to be deposited for operating the machine and it will therefore be understood that it will be necessary to incorporate various forms of devices for releasing the coin from the contact points, and while a specific form of device is herein shown, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to this specific construction, but wish to embody broadly any mechanism that may be essential for accomplishing the desired result.

The invention claimed is:

l. A coin controlled switch, comprising a body portion, said body portion having a groove in one face and a slot communicating with the groove between its ends, a face plate adapted to fit over said groove and slot, bolts for holding said face plate in position on the body portion, said bolts forming binding posts, a fixed contact point at one edge of said groove and connecting with one of said bolts, a movable contact point pivotally mounted on the other bolt, said pivoted contact point being positioned in said slot, one end of the movable contact point being convex and the opposite end straight, means for normally holding the bowed end of the contact point in the path of the coin descending in said groove and means for moving said bowed end out of the path of the coin.

. 2. In a coin controlled switch, a body portion having a coin receiving slot, a bolt extending through each edge of the body near the edges of the coin receiving slot, a contact embedded in the body portion at one edge of the slot and engaging one of said bolts, an adjustable contact pivoted on the other bolt at the opposite edge of the slot, said bolts forming poles for said contacts, the upper end portion of said pivoted contact being convex and the lower end straight, spring means for directing outward pressure on the straight end of said pivoted contact, and means for moving said straight end inwardly, whereby the convex end will be moved out of the path of a coin descending in the slot,

3. In a coin controlled switch, a body portion of non-conducting material having a coin receiving slot extending longitudinally through the body and a transverse slot in one edge of the body communicating with the first slot, bolts extending through said body one adjacent each edge thereof, a fixed contact point in one edge wall of the first slot opposite the second slot and engaging one of said bolts, a movable contact pivoted in the second slot on the other bolt, said bolts forming poles for the contacts, a portion of the movable contact between its pivotal point and one end being bowed inwardly to form a convex surface for engagement with a coin passing through the first slot, the bowed portion being so constructed that the convex face only of the movable contact will enter the first slot, a spring for holding the convex edge of the movable contact in the path of a coin descending in the first slot, and an operating rod for rocking the pivoted contact for moving the convex edge out of the path of a coin descending in the first slot.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

CHARLES A. TRIPP. 

